Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module

Abstract

Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of: providing a lamination device; disposing said first layer in said lamination device, disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of: providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C., forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a crosslinking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin, melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C., preferably between 160° C. and 180° C. and extruding said mixture to form said encapsulant material; disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material, laminating said first layer, said second layer and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C., preferably between 60° C. and 100° C., further preferably between 70° C. and 90° C. so as to crosslink said base resin.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a lamination device; 
 disposing said first layer in said lamination device; 
 disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of:
 providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C.; 
 forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin; and 
 melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C. and extruding said mixture to form said encapsulant material; 
 
 disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material; and 
 laminating said first layer, said second layer and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C. so as to crosslink said base resin, wherein said base resin has a complex viscosity of less than 15000 Pa·s at 85° C., and less than 10000 Pa·s at 100° C. before lamination. 
 
     
     
       2. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said encapsulant material is extruded as a sheet. 
     
     
       3. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said encapsulant material is extruded and subsequently ground into a powder before being disposed upon said first layer. 
     
     
       4. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said mixture is melted at a temperature of between 160° C. and 180° C. 
     
     
       5. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat is applied at a temperature of between 60° C. and 100° C. so as to crosslink said base resin. 
     
     
       6. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat is applied at a temperature of between 70° C. and 90° C. so as to crosslink said base resin. 
     
     
       7. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said base resin exhibits a tan delta value greater than 0.8 at 85° C. and greater than 1.0 at 100° C. before lamination. 
     
     
       8. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said mixture further comprises a further additive comprising at least one of: an antioxidant; an ultraviolet absorber; an ultraviolet stabiliser; pigment particles. 
     
     
       9. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said catalyst comprises at least one of:
 boric acid; 
 a metallocene catalyst; 
 a constrained geometry catalyst; 
 a chain shuttling-types of catalyst; 
 a multi-site catalyst such as a Ziegler-Natta or Phillips catalyst. 
 
     
     
       10. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein, after said step of lamination, said encapsulant material exhibits a complex viscosity greater than 15000 Pa·s at 85° C. and greater than 10000 Pa·s at 100° C. 
     
     
       11. Method according to  claim 1 , wherein, after said step of lamination, said encapsulant material exhibits a tan delta value of less than 1.0 at 85° C. and less than 1.2 at 100° C. 
     
     
       12. Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a lamination device; 
 disposing said first layer in said lamination device; 
 disposing in powder form upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by:
 providing a base resin in the form of a powder, said base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C.; and 
 mixing said base resin powder and an additive in the form of a powder so as to form said encapsulant material, said additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst present in said encapsulant material in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin; 
 
 disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material; and 
 laminating said first layer, said second layer and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C. so as to crosslink said base resin. 
 
     
     
       13. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said heat is applied at a temperature of between 60° C. and 100° C. so as to crosslink said base resin. 
     
     
       14. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said heat is applied at a temperature of between 70° C. and 90° C. so as to crosslink said base resin. 
     
     
       15. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said base resin has a complex viscosity of less than 15000 Pa·s at 85° C., and less than 10000 Pa·s at 100° C. before lamination. 
     
     
       16. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said base resin exhibits a tan delta value greater than 0.8 at 85° C. and greater than 1.0 at 100° C. before lamination. 
     
     
       17. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said mixture further comprises a further additive comprising at least one of: an antioxidant; an ultraviolet absorber; an ultraviolet stabiliser; pigment particles. 
     
     
       18. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein said catalyst comprises at least one of:
 boric acid; 
 a metallocene catalyst; 
 a constrained geometry catalyst; 
 a chain shuttling-types of catalyst; 
 a multi-site catalyst such as a Ziegler-Natta or Phillips catalyst. 
 
     
     
       19. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein, after said step of lamination, said encapsulant material exhibits a complex viscosity greater than 15000 Pa·s at 85° C. and greater than 10000 Pa·s at 100° C. 
     
     
       20. Method according to  claim 12 , wherein, after said step of lamination, said encapsulant material exhibits a tan delta value of less than 1.0 at 85° C. and less than 1.2 at 100° C. 
     
     
       21. Photovoltaic module manufactured by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       22. Photovoltaic module manufactured by the method of  claim 12 . 
     
     
       23. Building structure comprising at least one photovoltaic module according to  claim 21 . 
     
     
       24. Building structure comprising a photovoltaic module according to  claim 22 . 
     
     
       25. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a lamination device; 
 disposing said first layer in said lamination device; 
 disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of:
 providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C.; 
 forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin; and 
 melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C. and extruding said mixture to form said encapsulant material; 
 
 disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material; and 
 laminating said first layer, said second layer, and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C. so as to crosslink said base resin, wherein said base resin exhibits a tan delta value greater than 0.8 at 85° C. and greater than 1.0 at 100° C. before lamination. 
 
     
     
       26. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a lamination device; 
 disposing said first layer in said lamination device; 
 disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of:
 providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C.; 
 forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin; and 
 melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C. and extruding said mixture to form said encapsulant material; 
 
 disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material; and 
 laminating said first layer, said second layer, and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C. so as to crosslink said base resin, wherein said base resin exibits a tan delta value greater than 0.8 at 85° C. and greater than 1.0 at 100° C. before lamination. 
 
     
     
       27. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least a first layer and a second layer affixed to each other by means of an encapsulant, said method comprising steps of:
 providing a lamination device; 
 disposing said first layer in said lamination device; 
 disposing upon said first layer an encapsulant material manufactured by the steps of:
 providing a base resin comprising a silane-modified polyolefin and having a melting point below 90° C.; 
 forming a mixture of said base resin and an additive comprising a cross-linking catalyst, said cross-linking catalyst being present in a proportion of 0.01 to 5 parts per hundred of resin; and 
 melting said mixture at a temperature between 90° C. and 190° C. and extruding said mixture to form said encapsulant material; 
 
 disposing said second layer upon said encapsulant material; and 
 laminating said first layer, said second layer, and said encapsulant material under application of heat and pressure, said heat being applied at a temperature between 60° C. and 125° C. so as to crosslink said base resin, wherein, after said step of laminating, said encapsulant material exhibits a tan delta value of less than 1.0 at 85° C. and less than 1.2 at 100° C.